


Counting Down

by bazkaban



Category: Carry On - Rainbow Rowell
Genre: Alternate Universe, Human AU, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Timers, non-magic au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-08
Updated: 2018-05-08
Packaged: 2019-05-04 03:04:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14583561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bazkaban/pseuds/bazkaban
Summary: When you're born, there's a small digital clock embedded into your wrist. It counts down to the exact second you meet your soulmate. Simon Snow has payed attention to his clock, but he's dated anyway, not liking being alone. Basilton Pitch has done just the opposite. He doesn't mind being alone, and he'd prefer being single to knowing who you're dating is only going lead to breaking up. He's barely even looked at his clock. The two boys see each other on a bus, secretly sneaking glances at the other in the reflection from the window.





	Counting Down

**Author's Note:**

> I don't think I'm the best at writing, but I enjoy it, so have a Snowbaz oneshot because they are my children. This is the first thing being posted to my Archive profile, so I'm not entirely sure how everything works yet. Just wanted to write some fanfic.

{Simon's pov}

I sighed, glancing down at the clock embedded into my wrist yet again, impatient to meet my soulmate. Where was she? I leaned against the pole by the bus stop as my bus pulled up. Should I get on the bus? I might miss her. But as I climbed onto the bus, my clock stayed at the same time. Was she on the bus then? I glanced at the people sitting in the seats as I sat down myself. A group of preteen girls, giggling over something. A little old lady, knitting away. A single mother, trying to keep her two kids in control. No girl for me here. The only other people on the bus were a middle aged man in a suit, carrying a briefcase, and a boy about my age, with fluffy black hair falling into his eyes. He was wearing dark blue jeans and a black sweatshirt, with a dark green beanie pulled low over his forehead. He leaned into the window, staring out at the cloudy city sky. He had headphones on, covering his ears. I sighed, sticking my earbuds into my ear. I pretended to stare out the window, but I was watching the reflection of the black haired boy. 

{Baz's pov}

I was watching the bronze haired boy in the reflection of the window. He was wearing a beige jacket over a dark green sweater, the same color as my beanie, and worn, ripped jeans. His curly hair flopped around on the top of his head, but the sides were short. He had a messenger bag on the seat next to him, and he held a steaming Starbucks coffee in his hand. He sipped from the coffee, wrapping both hands around it. He was kinda cute. I blushed, pulling my sweatshirt hood closer around my neck. He was probably straight anyway. But I caught his eye in the reflection of my window. He blushed, looking away, and I did too, but I couldn't stop thinking about it now. His eyes were a bright and sparkling blue, slightly obscured from the curls falling on his forehead. A few moles and freckles were speckles across his face, making tiny blemishes that I thought were beautiful. I'd never seen a prettier boy.

{Simon's pov}

I caught the eye of the black haired boy and blushed. I wasn't meaning to stare, but he was kinda cute. I banished the thought from my mind. What was I thinking? He was probably straight anyway. I was straight. I glanced at the clock on my wrist. Less than fifteen minutes. I hoped my girl would get on the bus soon. 

A few minutes later, the bus pulled up to a stop. I realized with delight that there was a girl waiting. She looked to be about seventeen or eighteen, my age. She had long white-blond hair and a soft smile. She was pretty, but I couldn't help but feeling the slightest bit of disappointment. She didn't seem like my type. She looked like she might be rich and high maintenance. She clutched a small purse. Her eyes widened in slight surprise when she saw the brooding boy across from me and she sat down next to him, blocking my view of him. She pulled something out of her bag. A handkerchief, embroidered with four letters; T,B,G, and P. Did he really have four initials? I wanted to know his name. The girl tapped on his shoulder, handing it to him. He slid his headphones off onto his neck, and his beanie fell with them. His hair looked soft and fluffy, and it just barely brushed his shoulders. I caught a snippet of their conversation. She seemed to be saying something about finding it on campus. She looked slightly familiar. I think she was in my English lit. class. Her name was Amelia or something equally as posh.The handkerchief must have been dropped, and she found it. Was the grey eyed boy in my class too? How had I not noticed him? She moved seats, sitting right behind me. I glanced at my clock. Was she my soulmate? Less than five minutes left now. I was getting anxious, and I sipped my caramel coffee again to calm my nerves. I pulled my phone from my pocket, wanting something to do, but I had nobody to text except my best friend Penny, but she was in class and would certainly have turned her phone off. I was quickly bored with the simple leveled arcade game I'd downloaded. I could hardly concentrate.

{Baz's pov}

I pulled up the edge of my sleeve, glancing down at my clock. It was almost at zero. I rarely looked at it, preferring to go through life just living it instead of counting down to anything. Unlike some people, who unfortunately found their soulmate at a late age in life, and usually became depressed, I was relieved to see that in middle school I only had about five years left. All through high school, I never dated anyone. It was mainly because I was completely gay, which my father would have shunned me for, but I told him it was because I wanted to save my love for my soulmate. Fortunately, he believe me, and didn't push it. Unfortunately my soulmate, would, of course, be a boy, and I'd have to come out to him sometime. I sighed, pulling my sleeve down. I wonder what he looked like? I sneaked another glance at the bronze curled boy sitting in the seat across from me. Unless someone fell through the roof, he was the only boy around my age on this bus. It couldn't be him... right?

{Simon's pov}

I was starting to fidget now. I twisted the cord of my earbuds around my fingers, needing something to do with my hands. I saw the boy across from me checking his clock, and I wondered if he was going to meet his soulmate today too. The bus stopped, and we both got up, along with the woman with two kids. I stopped by the door to let her off first, and she gave me a grateful smile. I downed the rest of my coffee in one gulp as I left the bus, dropping it in a nearby trash can. I glanced at my clock yet again. Less than a minute. I tried to stop myself from looking around. She'd be here. The clocks were never wrong. The butterflies in my stomach were insane now. I could barely breathe. My whole life had led up to this point, yet... I didn't see anyone else around- except for the boy with fluffy hair stepping off the bus right now. 

{Baz's pov}

I stepped down onto the sidewalk. Less than a minute... and the only person around was the boy I saw with the coffee on the bus. There was no way it was him. He looked chill, and he was definitely looking around. Probably waiting for his girlfriend or something. I stuck my hands in my pockets, starting to briskly walk away, but I felt a hand brush my elbow and I turned.

{Simon's pov}

I don't know why I did it. I thought I was straight. I've had girlfriends before. But something about that boy just called to me. His hair blowing in the wind, his grey eyes meeting mine in the window, the way he walked away, barely moving his upper body at all. I reached out, meaning to grab his arm. He started to turn around and my heart sped up. This was it.

{Baz's pov}

I gazed into the bright blue eyes of the boy. His eyes were roaming my face, taking in everything. I brushed my hair out of my eyes. My heart was beating so fast I thought it would pound through my chest. I gently took his wrist, starting to pull up the sleeves of his beige jacket and his green sweater. He looked down at my pale hands rolling up his sleeve, but didn't stop me.

{Simon's pov}

The dark haired boy slowly pushed up my sleeve, revealing my clock. It read 0. All the numbers were 0. It was him. He dropped my arm and pushed up his own sleeve, this time faster. His clock read the same time as mine. 0. I'd found my soulmate... and... it was a guy?

{Baz's pov}

I swear my heart stopped in that moment. I'd found him. I'd found my soulmate, the person I will fall in love with for the rest of my life. I certainly wouldn't mind looking at him every morning beside him. I raised my head again, letting my black sleeve fall back to my wrist. I met the boy's sapphire blue eyes again. He smiled and a crowd of butterflies swarmed in my stomach. "My name's Simon," he said, starting to grin. "Simon Snow." His teeth were white, bright white, but one of his front teeth was just slightly crooked, and my heart melted. 

I took a deep breath, attempting to calm my nerves. "Tyrannus Basilton Grimm-Pitch," I responded. "You can call me Baz."

Simon's smile made me feel more than I'd ever have. It was like my entire life, there was a piece of me missing, and I'd finally found him, and everything was perfect. All in one moment, everything was perfect. There was no stress from school, no homophobic comments from my father, no depression stemming from the back of my mind. Everything went away looking at Simon Snow's blue eyes and bright smile, and I couldn't help but smile back, laughing. I'd never been more happy. I couldn't remember the last time I'd genuinely smiled and not been able to stop. Simon jumped towards me, wrapping his arms around me. I picked him up and spun him around, and when I put him down again, he was laughing. 

"This boy is my soulmate!" He yelled, spinning around. He grabbed my hand, raising it in the air. I felt myself blushing, but I was so happy. Some people around us on the sidewalk started to clap, and Simon reveled in it. He was like the sun, bright, and happy, and full of life, and made everything better, and I was already hopelessly in love with my sun.


End file.
